You may look forward to visiting an amazing real-life castle. If you do, here are some good options for you.

Mont-Saint-Michel, France

If you saw Disney’s movie, Tangled, then Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy would look familiar to you. The castle where the long-haired princess is kept looks much like the impressive ancient church.

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of France’s most visited historical places, with about 2.5 million tourists having a close look at the impressive medieval(中世纪的) architecture every year.

Catherine Palace, Russia

Many castles stick to natural colors, but not the Catherine Palace. Located about 18 miles south of St. Petersburg, Russia, the palace features a sky blue and white facade (正面) covered with gold. Inside the palace sits the extraordinary Amber Room. Completed in 1770, the room was decorated beautifully with golden carvings and mirrors, and the room had its own caretaker.

Leeds Castle, England

Leeds Castle in Kent, England, rises off islands in the center of a lake as if from a childhood fairy tale. Six of England’s medieval queens once lived here and Henry Ⅷ (1491~1547) transformed it into an impressive palace so he and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, could visit in true royal luxury. A ticket allows as many visits as one would like in 12 months.

Kylemore Abbey, Ireland

Built as a doctor’s home in 1868, the castle and its walled garden are now home to a community of Benedictine nuns (修女) who make and sell chocolates and other goods. Families are encouraged to visit for the view of the lake, stories of local legends, and performances in the neo-Gothic church.

You’ve flown halfway around the world; you’ve sniffed out this place that nobody in Falongland or Thailand seems to have ever heard of; so what on earth is there to do here? You consider this question as you sink into an old wooden beach chair that holds you above the sand.

It was a long journey from Bangkok to Huaplee. By the time you found the bus station and got yourself sorted out, it took almost as long as the flight from Falongland.

Huaplee is located just south of Hua Hin, about two hundred kilometres from Bangkok, down the west side of the Gulf of Thailand. Not many tourists find this place, and the ones that do wonder if finding it has been their purpose all along.

There’s an apparent laziness that surrounds you here. It’s what this place offers, and it’s free of charge. The small waves that tap the shoreline seem to slow everything down. You settle into your beach chair in preparation for a long rest. You sit there and watch the sea.

It’s early afternoon, so the cook comes out and asks what you’d like to eat this evening. Before long he’s rushed off to the market to buy the ingredients for whatever it was that you ordered—every meal fresh and to order. No menu here.

There is no poolside noise here but just that wonderfully warm, clear blue sea. There’s no street noise. The only sounds are the murmurs of nature. For now you just count your blessings (福祉), listing them in the sand with your toe (脚趾). You don’t have to worry about being late for work. You don’t have to do anything.

The beach to your right stretches off to the horizon (地平线), slowly narrowing to nothingness only to re-emerge again on your left, now steadily widening until it covers the chair beneath you. Sand to your left and sand to your right; it’s unbroken, endless. No start, no end, just sand, sun, and peace. Step off it, and you re-enter the world of traffic, stress, work, and hurry.

Normally you’re the type who can’t sit still for more than ten minutes, but you’re on Huaplee Lazy Beach now and, in the right frame of mind, it stretches all the way around theworld.

“How could it take me so long to find it?” you wonder.

Good afternoon，and welcome to England.We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one.Today，I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.

The first one is about drinking.Now，you may not buy alcohol (酒) in this country if you are under 18 years of age，nor may your friends buy it for you.

Secondly，noise.Enjoy yourselves by all means，but please don’t make unnecessary noise，particularly at night.We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.

Thirdly，crossing the road.Be careful！The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country.Use pedestrian crossings (人行横道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.

My next point is about litter (throwing away waste material in a public place). It is an offence (违法行为) to drop litter in the street.When you have something to throw away，please put it in your pocket and take it home，or put it in a litter bin.

Finally，as regards something，it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco (烟草) if you are under 16 years of age.

I’d like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance，you should contact your local police station，who will be pleased to help you.

Now，are there any questions?